Ski tow rope release



Aug- 23, 1966 R. D. KIMBALL 3,267,899

SKI TOW ROPE RELEASE Filed Nov. 9, 1964 3,267,899 SKI TOW ROPE RELEASERollow D. Kimball, 2647 Hall Circle, Kearns, Utah Filed Nov. 9, 1964,Ser. No. 409,693 Claims. (Cl. 114-235) This invention relates toreleasable safety couplings for rope and the like and more particularlyrelates `such couplings for use in water skiing for releasing the towrope from the skier when falling inthe water.

In water skiing, the skier and particularly the beginner when falling inthe water does not release the tow rope before being dragged -along thewater by the rope. This increases the impact of the fall and frequentlyresults in the skier becoming tangled lin the tow rope. While little ifany injury will occur if the skier releases his gr-ip on the tow ropeyas he starts to tall, the impact of the fall is materially increasedwhen the rope is not released and this impact together with the pullingof the skier along the water after having fallen, or the tangling of therope with the skier, frequently results in serious injury to the skier.

The present invention has as its principal objects to remedy thisdiiculty by providing a safety coupling in the tow rope, releasing thetow rope from the skier the instant the coupling hits the water, as theskier is falling.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved form of skitow rope having a releasable coupling -therein maintaining -a continuoustow line from the boat to the skier and releasing the tow line from theskier upon impact ofthe coupling with the water.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a coupling adaptedto be placed in water ski tow lines adjacent the skier, in whichcoupling and socket members are retained in engagement with each otherby a simplied form of axial clutch, and in which a release member isprovided for the clutch, releasing the clutch upon eng-agement of therelease member with the water.

A still -further object of the invention is .to provide a form -of towrope safety release placed in a ski tow rope adjacent Ithe skierincluding a socket member connected to one part of the rope and acoupling member registrable with the socket member and connected to anadjacent end portion of another part of the rope, in which an axialclutch is provided to hold the coupling yand Socke-t members from axialmovement with respect to each other and a cup-like release membermaintains the clutch in an engaged position and releases the clutch bythe reaction of the water against the release member as the tow rope isunder load, to instantaneously release the coupling member from thesocket member.

These and other objects `of the invention will appear from time to timeas the following specication proceeds and with reference to theaccompanying drawing wherein:

FIGURE 1 is a diagrammatic plan view of a water ski tow rope releaseconstructed in accordance with the principles of the present inventionshowing the release in a tow rope attached to a boat and positionedadjacent the portion of the tow r-ope grasped by the skier;

FIGUREl 2 is a -longitudinal sectional view taken substantially alongline II-I1 of EFIGURE 1;

IFIGURE 3 is a view somewhat similar to FIGURE. 2 but showing thecoupling in a released position;

FIGURE '4 is a transverse sectional view taken substantially along lineIV-#IV of FIGURE 2; and

FIGUR-E 5 is a transverse sectional view taken along substantially lineV-V of FIGURE 4.

In the embodiment of Ithe invention illustrated in the iigures of thedrawing, I have diagrammatically shown in FIGURIE 1 a portion of a boat10, which may either be an inboard or outboard mot-or boat `having a`ski rope 11 connected thereto having a releasable safety coupling l12connected to its end. The releasable coupling 12 forms a coupling memberconnecting the ski tow rope 11 with a rope portion 13 branching ott to ayoke A15 connected to a hand grip bar i16, adapted to be grasped by thehand of the water skier. The rope 11, the yoke section 15 and the handgrip bar 16 are conventional elements so need not herein be describedfurther.

The safety coupling 12 may be made `from a plastic material, or of anyother material sufficiently strong to withstand the pull of the towrope, and includes a coupling member or plug 17 having a central hole118 extending axially therealong for a portion of the length thereofcommunicating with Ia molded or cross-drilled hole 19. iln attaching thecoupling member 17 to the tow rope 11, the rope is passed through theaxial hole 1=8` .and out through Vthe hole 19. A Iknot 20 may then betied to the end of the rope to retain the coupling member to the rope.The coupling member 17 has a reduced diameter -outer end portion 21fitting within a socket 22 of a socket member 23. The socket member 23has a drilled or molded hole 24 extending axially into the socket 22from the outer end thereof to receive the rope `13. The rope y13 ispassed through the socket 22 beyond the end thereof and `knotted asindicated by reference character 25 and is then vdr-awn outwardly with`the knotted portion 25 in engagement with the base of the socket 22 toretain the rope portion I13 to the socket member 23.

The coupling member 17 is retained to the socket member 23 `to provide asolid coupling between the r-ope sections 11 and 13 to raise the skierto the surface of the water and retain the skier to the surf-ace of thewat-er by travel of the boat by a releasable axial clutch 27, hereinshown as being a ball type of clutch and locked in position by a releasemember 29 slidable along a reduced diameter portion 30 of the socketmember 23.

As shown in the drawings, the clutch 27 includes a plurality of hardenedballs 31 radially slidable along radial apertured portions 33 of asleeve end portion 35 of the socket member 23 of a reduced diameter fromthe diameter of the reduced diameter portion 30 and terminating in ashoulder 36 forming a seat for a spring 37. The balls 31 releasablyengage an outwardly opening annular groove 39 formed in the reduceddiameter portion 21 of the coupling member 17 and are retained inlocking engagement with said groove by cylindrical engaging face 40 ofthe release member 29 slidable along the sleeve portion 35. The spring37, seated on the shoulder 36 at one end, is seated on a shoulder 41 ofthe release member 29 at its opposite end, and maintains the cylindricalengaging face 40 over the balls 31, to normally maintain the balls inthe groove 39 to form a solid coupling 'between the members 17 and 23and rope sections 11 and 13.

The releasemember 29 has a hub portion 43 slidable along the reduceddiameter portion 30 and sleeve portion 35 of the socket member 23. Thehub portion 43V has an inner or front wall 44 facing in the direction oftravel of the ski rope and extending radially outwardly therefrom andterminating in a frusto-conical wall 45 Haring outwardly to acylindrical wall 48, opening to the adavnce end of the release memberand forming in effect a Cup opening in the direction of travel of theskier and providing the reaction when engaging the water, as the skierfalls, to effect movement of the release member against the spring 36and release the annular retaining surface 40 from the balls 31, toaccommodate the release of the coupling member 17 from the socket member23.

It may be seen from FIGURE 2 that in the release position, the ballspass into an enlarged diameter portion 46 of the release member toaccommodate free movement of the coupling member 17 out of theV socketmember 23. A snap ring 47 is snapped into engagement with the inner endof the socket member 23 to engage the shoulder defining the inner marginof the enlarged diameter portion 46 and retain the socket member 23 tothe release member 29, to enable the coupling to be again connected toeffect a solid coupling member for a next succeeding water skiin goperation.

In using the releasable tow rope coupling, assuming the rope sections 11and 13 are attached to the respective coupling and socket members 17 and23, it is merely necessary to insert the reduced diameter portion 21 ofthe coupling member 17 into the socket 23 into engagement with the wall44 of the release member 29. The spring 37 will then bias the releasemember 29 into engagement with the shoulder of the coupling member andthe cylindrical wall 40 will retain the balls 31 in the groove 39 andhold the coupling and socket members in connected relation with respectto each other. In skiing, all that is necessary is for the skier tograsp the tow bar 16 and hold the coupling member 12 out of the water,it being understood that the coupling member is closely Iadjacent theskier and will normally be out of the water when the skiers hands areout of the water in position to be towed and there is tension on the towrope. The skier may then be pulled by the tow rope to the surface of thewater in a customary manner and the rope sections 11 and 13 will be acontinuous rope during the normal skiing operation. If, however, theskier should fall, the cup-like portion of the release member 29reacting against the water as the coupling member 17 and cup-like member29 are pulled by the tow rope in the direction of travel of the boat,the release member 29 will move against the bias of the spring 37 tomove the annular retaining surface 40 away from the balls 31 of theclutch 27. The balls 31 moving radially outwardly by the reactionbetween the coupling member 17 and the socket 23 will move outwardly tothe enlarged diameter portion 46 of the release member andinstantaneously release the coupling member from the socket member andfree the skier from the tow rope and boat.

It should here be understood that the releasable coupling 12 may be madefrom materials which will oat in water although it need not necessarilybe made from such materials. The members of the coupling also may behollow to provide air spaces therein to cause the coupling to morereadily oat to enable the sections of the coupling to be readilyretrieved. The hollow structure, however, is no part of the presentinvention so need not be shown or described herein.

While I have herein shown and described one form in which the inventionmay be embodied, it should be understood that various variations andmodifications in the invention lmay be attained without departing fromthe spirit and scope of the novel concepts thereof.

I claim as my invention:

1. A release for water ski tow ropes particularly adapted to release thetow rope from the skier comprising:

a coupling member,

a socket member,

means retaining said coupling and socket members in coupled relationwith respect to each other including a movable release member mounted onone of said members and movable axially of said members upon engagementof said release member with the water, to accommodate separation of saidmembers and the freeing of the skier from the tow rope.

2. A release for tow ropes particularly adapted to free the water skierfrom the tow rope when falling in the water comprising:

a socket member,

a coupling member adapted to lit in said socket member,

interengaging axial clutch means retaining said coupling member to saidsocket member, and

a release member retaining said clutch means in position to provide asolid coupling between said members and releasing said clutch means andeffect the separation of said members by the reaction of said releasemember with the water as the skier falls when being pulled by the towrope.

3. A tow rope release in accordance with claim 2 in which the releasemember is slidably movable along the socket member, wherein spring meansbias the release member along the socket member in position to maintaifna rigid coupling between the coupling member and socket member andwherein the release member has a cup-like advance end portion `facing inthe direction of travel of the skier providing the necessary reaction tomove said release member against said spring by the reaction `of thewater against said release memlber as the skier falls during a skiingoperation.

4. In a tow rope release particularly adapted for releasing water skiersfrom the tow rope when falling,

two aligned tow rope sections,

a socket member connected to one tow rope section,

a coupling rnember connected to a second tow rope section and adapted tot within the socket member,

an axial clutch holding said members from axial moveunent with respectto each `other and including a clutch member adapted to haveinterengaging connection with said members,

a release member movably mounted on one of said members for maintainingsaid clutch member in an engaging position and for accommodating therelease of said clutch member to effect disconnection of said members,

:means biasing said release member in a clutch engaginlg position,

said release member being moved against its spring bias by its reactionagainst the water as the towed water skier falls, to eect the release ofsaid clutch member and the axial separation of the two aligned sectionsof the tow rope.

5. A tow rope release in accordance with claim 4 wherein spring mea-nsybias the release member into a clutch engaging position and wherein therelease member has a cup-like .advance end portion 4opening in thedirection of travel of the ski `rope and providing the reaction toeffe-ct movement of said release member against said spring and therebyrelease the clutch as the skier falls and said coupling means intoengagement with the water.

6. In a tow rope release particularly adapted to release the tow ropefrom a water skier being pulled thereby, in which the tow rope includes,

two aligned rope sections connected between the boat and skier,

a socket member connected to one rope section,

a coupling member connected to a second rope section and adapted to iitwithin said socket member,

a plurality of clutch members movably carried by said socket member forengagement with said coupling member to couple said coupling member tosaid socket member,

a release member mounted for movement along said socket member andengaging said clutch rnermfbers and retaining s-aid clutch members inengagement with said coupling member,

spring means biasing said release member in a direction to retain saidclutch members in engagement with said coupling member, and said releasemember having an enlarged forward end portion alording the reaction whenengaged with the lwater as the tow rope is pulling the skier, to movesai-d release member along said socket member out orf clutch engagingposition and to accommodate the axial release of said clutch membersfrom said coupling memebr and `free the skier from the tow rope whenfalling.

7. A toW rope release in accordance with claim- 6 wherein -the clutchmembers -are in the form of balls guided in the socket member for radialmovement with respect thereto.

8. In a water ski tow rope, a rope section having an end adapted to `beconnected to a boat and having an opposite free end,

an axially aligned second rope section forming a continuation of saidrst mentioned rope section and having a hand Igrip on the outer endthereof adapted to be grasped by the skier,

an axially releasable coupling connecting said rope sections inend-to-end relation with respect to each other and including a releasemember movable along the coupling and biased into position to form apositive coupling between said rope sections and having an enlargedvforwardly facing open end portion engaging the water upon falling ofthe skier and moved by the force of the water into a release position toeiect release of the coupling.

9. In a water ski tow rope, a rope section having an end adapted to beconnected to a boat and having an opposite free end,

a second axially aligned rope section forming a continuation of said rstrope sections and having a hand grip thereon adapted to be grasped bythe skier,

an axially releasable coupling connecting said rope sections inend-to-end relation with respect to each other comprising a couplingmember connected to the free end of said first mentioned rope sectionand having a generally cylindrical reduced diameter advance end,

a socket member connected to the second rope section and having agenerally cylindrical socket therein adapted to receive said reduceddiameter advance end of said coupling member,

said reduced diameter advance end of said coupling member having anoutwardly opening annular groove therein within the contines of saidsocket member when said coupling is engaged,

said socket member having radial apertured portions registering withsaid groove when said coupling member is in an extreme inwardly extendedposition with respect to said socket member,

clutch balls carried by said apertured portions of said socket memberfor engagement with said groove,

a release member slidably mounted on said socket member and having aninternal cylindrical wall portion maintaining said balls in engagementwith said groove,

spring means biasing said internal cylindrical wall portion intoengagement with said balls to maintain said coupling in a connectedcondition, and

said release member having an enlarged area portion extending radiallyoutwardly of said coupling member providing the reaction against thewater as the skier falls and the coupling member is pulled into thewater, to move said release member against its spring bias and effectrelease of the clutch.

10. A Water ski tow rope in accordance with claim 9 in which theenlarged area portion of the release member is of a cup-like shapeopening in the direction of travel of the ski rope.

No references cited.

MILTON BUCHLER, Primary Examiner.

T. M. BLIX, Assistant Examiner.

1. A RELEASE FOR WATER SKI TOW ROPES PARTICULARLY ADAPTED TO RELEASE THETOW ROPE FROM THE SKIER COMPRISING: A COUPLING MEMBER, A SOCKET MEMBER,MEANS RETAINING SAID COUPLING AND SOCKET MEMBERS IN COUPLED RELATIONWITH RESPECT TO EACH OTHER INCLUDING A MOVABLE RELEASE MEMBER MOUNTED ONONE OF SAID MEMBERS AND MOVABLE AXIALLY OF SAID MEMBERS UPON ENGAGEMENTOF SAID RELEASE MEMBER WITH THE WATER, TO ACCOMMODATE SEPARATION OF SAIDMEMBERS AND THE FREEING OF THE SKIER FROM THE TWO ROPE.